Title: My Dark Side
Author: Steph
Rating: G
Pairing: Hook/Emma
Characters: Hook, Emma, David, Mary Margaret, Rumple.
Category: Drama/Romance
Disclaimer: I do this out of a love for this couple. No infringement is intended.
Spoilers: Takes place immediately after the season 4 finale.
Summary: Hook steals the dagger and summons Emma. He is determined to help her fight the darkness within her, even as it rears its ugly head.
Note: So I have absolutely no clue what's going to happen in season 5. I have no idea how the show is going to handle Emma being dark, but this popped into my head and it's what I would like to see happen.
…My Dark Side: Part 1/1…
Hook, David, and Mary Margaret sat in Granny's diner in shocked silence. Hook's fingers were threaded through his hair, his head bent, as he fought back tears.
"She told me she loved me," he whispered, finally breaking the silence.
"What?" Mary Margaret asked, her brow creasing.
He raised his gaze to hers. "Emma told me she loved me for the first time right before she pushed me away."
Mary Margaret smiled gently. "That was a big step for her."
He nodded. "I know. I never got to say it back though. I was so shocked by what was happening and then she pushed me away."
"She knew," David said.
Mary Margaret nodded her agreement. "She did. We all did. We could tell every time you looked at her."
He swallowed hard, his throat burning. "I wanted to tell her a thousand times. But I didn't think she was ready. I was fearful that if I told her before she was ready that I would push her away." He paused and then added, "Now I might never get the chance to tell her. I might never see her again."
Mary Margaret leaned forward and squeezed his hand comfortingly. "Yes, you will. We all will. And you'll be able to tell her you love her everyday."
Hook sighed. "But she's the Dark One now. She won't be the same Emma we all love."
David shook his head. "We'll find a way to rid her of that darkness. We have to find Merlin first."
Hook gestured to the dagger that lay on the table in front of them. He still couldn't believe that Emma's name was scrawled across its blade.
"We can summon her with the dagger. Whoever controls the dagger controls the Dark One," Hook said.
Mary Margaret nodded. "That's right, which is why it's so important that it stays in our possession. Becoming the Dark One means Emma will become obsessed with power. She'll try to gain control of the dagger."
David picked the dagger up. "Mary Margaret and I will keep it some place secure."
Hook held up his hand. "Wait. Why can't we summon Emma now? I need to know she's safe."
Mary Margaret shook her head. "It's not a good idea. We don't know what to expect from her. It's best if we find Merlin first."
David nodded in agreement. "I'm sure wherever she is, she's safe, Hook. Emma is more powerful than ever now and becoming the Dark One also means she is immortal." He paused, as he stood, tucking the dagger under his arm. "Come on, Mary Margaret, let's go home and get some rest."
Hook watched them leave. A tear appeared in the corner of his eye and he roughly brushed it away with his thumb.
He had never felt more alone. What was he supposed to do without Emma? She was the reason he was able to keep his own darkness at bay. She gave him something to live for. Now, he had nothing.
…
Two weeks passed. David, Mary Margaret, and Hook were trying to gather information about Merlin, but were coming up empty. They had no clue where to start looking for him.
Hook was a mess without Emma. He couldn't sleep more than a few hours a night. He had no appetite and he found himself snapping at everyone he came in contact with. He didn't know how much longer he could keep this up. The loss of Emma was consuming him. In his heart, he worried he would never see her again and, if he did, would she ever be the woman he fell in love with again?
More than anything, Hook just needed to see Emma again. So, he made a decision. He was going to steal the dagger from the Charmings. He was fairly sure it was hidden at the loft somewhere.
One night, when he knew they were out, Hook broke into the loft. He had always been good at finding treasure. He figured locating the dagger shouldn't be too hard.
Hook crept through the loft, carefully digging through drawers. When he had searched all of downstairs, he went upstairs to Emma's room. Ten minutes later, he sighed heavily, his search fruitless. He was about to leave, when he decided to check under Emma's bed. He figured it would be a ridiculous place to hide it, but sometimes the most obvious spots are the best. Beneath the bed, he found nothing but dust bunnies and a lost sock. He was just about to stand when he noticed a floor board close to the wall that seemed to be a bit raised. Hook squeezed under the bed and stretched his arm out, using his hook to pry the board up. The wood popped up and Hook dropped his hand inside to search. His lips curled into a smile as his fingertips touched cool metal. His fingers wrapped around the dagger and he pulled it out from its hiding spot. He replaced the floorboard and then stood up.
He cradled the dagger in his hands, his gaze glued to Emma's name scrawled across the blade. It was still hard to believe. With a sigh, he stuck the dagger inside his jacket and quickly left the loft.
….
Once aboard the Jolly Roger, Hook made his way below deck. He removed the dagger from his jacket and stared at it. His mind told him this was a bad idea, but he could only listen to his heart. His heart couldn't bear not seeing Emma for one more minute.
Taking a deep breath, he held the dagger up. "Dark One, I summon you to appear to me."
A moment later, his sleeping quarters grew cold and cloud of black smoke appeared before him. When it had dissipated, Emma stood before him.
His lips turned into a wide smile and he rushed to her, enveloping her in his arms.
"Emma," he breathed, as he held her close, his hand cupping the back of her head.
Emma closed her eyes and buried her face in his neck, letting his warmth wash over her.
"Killian," she whispered.
Hook pulled back and cradled her cheek with his hand. He noticed her eyes were rimmed red and her irises had grown dark.
"Are you okay?"
She nodded. "I'm okay."
"I missed you so much," he said, placing a kiss to her lips.
When he pulled back, she smiled at him. "I missed you too."
"Where have you been?"
Emma dropped her eyes. "It's not important right now. I want to see my parents and Henry."
She moved to leave, but Hook gently grasped her elbow. "Wait. I need to say something first."
"Killian, now's not the time."
"Please, I need to say this, Emma."
She nodded. "Okay."
"Right before you vanished, you told me you loved me. I know that wasn't easy for you. I know you were scared. I didn't get a chance to say it back before you left. The truth is, I wanted to tell you I love you a thousand times, but I didn't think you were ready to hear it. And then I thought I missed my chance." He paused, licking his lips. "But you're back with me now and I won't make the same mistake again. I love you, Emma. All of you. We will find a way to fight this darkness together. We'll find a way to free you. I'll never give up on you, Emma."
Emma smiled and pressed her lips to his. "Thank you, Killian." She then slipped her hand in his. "Let's go see my family."
Hook shook his head. "I'm sorry. I can't let you do that."
Emma ripped her hand free from his and took a step back. Hook noticed her nostrils flare and her jaw clench.
"Why not?" she asked angrily.
"Because no one knows I summoned you. Mary Margaret and David wanted to wait until we found Merlin. They hid the dagger, but I stole it."
Emma's eyes moved to the dagger, which now lay on a table. Her hand twitched.
"Once they see me, then I'm sure they'll be happy you summoned me. They'll understand, Killian. And I'll show them that I'm the same person. I can control the darkness inside of me. I'm still me."
Hook tilted his head as he looked at her. He wanted to believe she was still the same person, but she seemed different somehow. He knew if anyone could fight the darkness within her it was Emma, but he also knew how strong and powerful that darkness was.
He held up his hand. "Okay, just give me a bit of time to get them used to the idea."
.
"I don't want to wait," Emma said, trying in vain to keep her tone in check.
Hook felt his phone buzz in his pocket. He took it out and looked at the screen.
"It's David. He wants me to meet him and Mary Margaret at Granny's." He paused and met her eyes. "Will you be okay here for a little while?"
Emma smiled. "Of course."
He closed the distance between them, placing a kiss to her forehead. "Stay below deck. I'll be back soon."
Emma nodded as he turned and headed above deck. The moment he left, her eyes went to the dagger, which he had forgotten. A smile curled her lips.
…
Hook slid into the booth across from David and Mary Margaret.
"Have we made any progress on-…"
He was interrupted by David. "Where is it, Hook?"
Hook raised an eyebrow. "Where is what?"
"The dagger," Mary Margaret supplied.
"We know you stole it," David added.
Hook dropped his head. He knew there would be no use in lying to them.
"It's in a safe place."
"Damn it, Hook! We told you we would keep it secure!" David yelled.
"Have you used it to summon Emma yet?"
Hook slowly nodded his head. Mary Margaret gasped and David let out a frustrated groan.
"What the hell were you thinking?" David screamed. "We told you how important it was to wait."
"I won't apologize," Hook said sharply, as he stared them down. "I needed to see Emma and I couldn't wait until we figured out where Merlin is. We have no bloody clue where he is located and no idea how long it could take to find him. I couldn't stand not being with, Emma."
"You're selfish, you know that," David said, pointing a finger at him.
"David," Mary Margaret said, placing a hand on his arm.
David shook his head. "No, he's always been this way. He hasn't changed. Not really. He only cares about himself, his needs. It doesn't matter that he may have just endangered this entire town."
Hook shrugged. "Maybe I am selfish. I don't know. But Emma is all I have. You two have each other, you have Henry, you have loads of friends in this town. Me? I have Emma. She's the reason I have been able to keep my darkness at bay and now I'm going to help her do the same."
Hook got up to leave, but David's voice stopped him. "I sure hope the safe place you have the dagger is far away from Emma."
Hook dropped his gaze. He hadn't even realized he'd left it on the table right in front of her. He had been so happy and relieved to see her that he hadn't been thinking straight. He'd been a fool.
Mary Margaret shook her head. "It's with her, isn't it?"
"Damn it!" David said, as Hook quickly headed for the exit.
….
Hook scrambled down the ladder, yelling her name. "Emma! Emma, where are you?!"
His eyes moved to the table and he wasn't surprised to find the dagger gone.
"Bloody hell!" he screamed, as he slammed his fist down on the wood.
David and Mary Margaret hurried down after him.
"Where is she?" David asked.
"I don't know. I told her to stay here."
"You mean after you left the dagger out in the open?" Mary Margaret asked.
Just then, David's phone rang. "It's Henry," he said, looking at the screen.
He answered the phone. "Henry? What's going on?"
"It's Mom. She's back. She's at Gold's shop."
"Where are you right now?"
"I'm outside the shop."
"Okay, stay right where you are. We'll be right there," David said, before hanging up the phone.
"Emma's at Gold's."
"With the dagger, I'm sure," Mary Margaret said worriedly.
"Let's go," David said.
He and Mary Margaret hurried up the ladder. Hook stood rooted to his spot. How could he have been so stupid? His love for Emma had made him careless. Now, there was no telling what would happen because of it. With a heavy sigh, he headed above deck.
…
David, Mary Margaret, and Hook arrived at Gold's shop. Belle and Henry stood outside.
"She's got the dagger," Belle said.
"We know," David replied, with an icy glare in Hook's direction. "Stay here," he told them both.
All three entered Gold's shop. They found Emma standing in front of him, holding the dagger out.
"Emma," Mary Margaret said.
Emma turned to face them, her expression softening. "Mom, Dad, I missed you."
David smiled, as he slowly took a few steps forward. "We missed you too."
"Emma, what are you doing?" Hook said.
"What does it look like I'm doing, Killian? I'm doing what should have been done hundreds of years ago. I'm going to kill Rumple."
"You don't want to do that," Hook said.
Emma laughed. The laugh was harsh and guttural and didn't sound at all like her. "I would think you of all people would support me killing The Crocodile. He took Milah from you. He stole your hand. He turned you into a vengeance seeking villain, Killian."
Hook shook his head. "No, I made that choice, Emma. I chose to deal with my losses by seeking vengeance. That is, until you showed me I could be more than that. You helped me turn away from the darkness, Emma. And I'm going to help you do the same."
"What if I don't want to be helped?" she snarled.
Mary Margaret shook her head. "Don't say that, Emma."
Emma waved the dagger at Rumple. "He deserves to die. He has killed countless people. He has hurt everyone in this town."
"That's because he allowed the darkness to control him, Emma. It doesn't have to be the same way for you," David said.
Rumple held his hands up. "I have no right to ask for your mercy. I have done terrible things and I know I couldn't make up for them all even if I lived another 300 years. But, Emma, you have a chance to learn from my mistakes. You have a chance to go down a different path. You see, I was a coward before becoming the Dark One. All I ever wanted was power. So when I got it, I put everything else above it. But things are different for you. You were a hero. You were the savior. You were brave and you had power. You can fight the pull of the dagger, Emma."
Hook slowly walked towards her. Her arm was shaking as she directed the dagger at Rumple.
"He's right, Emma. But if you do this, then there's no turning back."
Emma turned towards him, tears filling her eyes. "I don't know who I am anymore," she said softly.
Hook touched her arm. "Give me the dagger, Emma."
Emma slowly lowered her arm and allowed the dagger to slip from her grip. It fell to the floor. Hook quickly retrieved it and handed it to David.
David and Mary Margaret went outside with it, determined to hide it somewhere she wouldn't find it.
Emma stood there, tears now streaming down her face. Hook pulled her into his arms and she buried her face in his shoulder.
"I know who you are, Emma," he whispered. "And I'm going to do everything in my power to help you hold onto that person."
Emma pulled back and cupped his face. "It won't be easy, Killian. This is going to be the hardest battle we've ever fought."
Hook placed a kiss to her lips and then pulled back with a smile. "One thing will never change, Emma. We'll always make a bloody good team."
Emma laughed and he smiled. That was the laugh he loved to hear. He wiped at the tears on her cheek with his thumb.
"Come on, let's go home."
Emma quirked an eyebrow. "My home or yours?"
"I was hoping my home could be our home," he said nervously. "I've actually been thinking about it for a while now."
Emma smiled, but it quickly faded. "Are you sure you want to live with the Dark One?"
Hook crooked his head to the side and smirked. "Well, you are certainly a much more fetching Dark One than Rumple, so I think I can deal with it."
Emma didn't laugh. "I'm serious, Killian. It won't be easy."
He smiled and entwined their fingers. "Nothing worth having ever is."
…
That night, Emma and Hook lay in his bed on the Jolly Roger. They still hadn't made love and Hook wanted to wait until they could rid Emma of the darkness. Still, holding her in his arms again was all he wanted.
Emma placed her head on his chest, allowing the sound of his beating heart to soothe her. It was difficult to describe how she had changed. She knew she felt different and that rage would boil up within her like never before.
But some things hadn't changed and never would. Her love for Hook was as strong as ever. She was determined to learn from Rumple. He had a woman who loved him and he loved her back, but he put his need for power above that love. It had cost him the woman he loved for a long time and it had nearly cost him his life. She wouldn't make the same mistake.
Emma propped her chin up on Hook's chest and met his eyes.
"What is it, love?"
"I love you," she whispered. "Above all else."
"And I love you, Emma. For better or worse."
Emma quirked an eyebrow at him. "That sounded an awful lot like a wedding vow."
Hook reached up and stroked her jaw with his thumb. "Would that be so terrible?"
Emma shook her head. "Well, I just moved in with you today and we just said I love you, so I think it would be moving a little fast."
Hook smiled. "Don't worry, love, I wasn't proposing. But I want you to know that my love for you is unconditional and that you are and always will be my happy ending."
Emma grinned and linked her fingers with his. She dropped her gaze shyly and stammered, "But maybe one day…um…when I have rid myself of the darkness and I'm…uh…back to myself again…maybe then you'll…um…think about proposing."
Hook smiled as he leaned forward to kiss her. "Make no mistake about it, love. One day, I will make you my wife, Emma Swan."
Emma smiled and kissed him again. "Nothing would make me happier."
She placed her head back on his chest and he wrapped his arm tightly around her, pulling her close to him.
Hook knew they had a long road ahead of them. But he also knew that one thing would never change. They could face anything together.
…...
Thanks for reading and please let me know what you thought! ~Steph